In our youth-obsessed culture, it’s not often you hear that a book about aging isn’t focused on preventing it.  That’s why I was excited to read about A Place Called Canterbury on Bill Thomas’ “Changing Aging” blog.

The premise is simple. Dudley Clendinen is a former New York Times reporter who decided to move into Canterbury Tower, a retirement community (and AAHSA member) in Tampa, Fla., where his mother lived, and write about what he saw. What happened next,  isn’t so simple. Clendinen writes that the 400 days spent at Canterbury were an intriguing and inspiring look at how people from all backgrounds handle the realities of growing older. He describes everything from the weekly cocktail hours to interactions with staff and the tough decisions facing Canterbury’s residents and their families as sickness happens and memories start to fade.

Click here to hear Clendinen share his own take on ”Canterbury Tales” on NPR’s Weekend Edition.